Wine and Food Pairing Dinner Party

This weekend my friend and I planned a wine and food pairing dinner party at my house with friends, and our parents! We had everyone pick out a wine and prepare a dish to go with it and we all came together to try out our dinner pairings. We had four different types of wine: we started with a white and blush wine with appetizers, then enjoyed dinner with a nice Chianti, and finished with dessert and pink Moscato.

Me and my parents (to the right and left of me) and our friends about to start dinner

Appetizers

Our first wine: Sauvignon Blanc

The salad we had with the Sauvignon Blanc

To start off we had SeaGlass 2012 Sauvignon Blanc from California with a spinach and walnut salad (on the left). This white smelled citrusy and like apple. It also had a hint of freshly mowed grass in the nose. Before trying it with food it tasted very much like lemon and citrus fruits. It was very smooth and good. After eating the salad and trying the wine again, the walnut flavor from the salad really came out in the wine, making it more flavorful. The wine was also a little more spicy alongside the food. This was an interesting wine to pair with food, but it turned out really good with the salad!

My glass of blush wine with cheesy bread

Cabernet Savignon - Merlot

Next we had the Domaine de Mirail Cabernet Savignon - Merlot 2011 from France with fococcia bread, tomatoes, cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette  This wine smelt very good; a very cherry fruit and strawberry nose. The taste was a little dry and fruity, not bad at all. While trying it with food the taste became drier, but better. The taste of the delicious bread came out more in the wine. It also became more citrusy with the food. This was a nice wine to try with these appetizers and the taste came out well alongside the bread and cheese. 

My dad experiencing the full smell of the blush wine

Main Course

A plate of the main course: lasagna and beans

The wine we had paired with our main course was Da Vinci Chianti 2011 from Italy. This wine was paired with green beans and delicious Italian lasagna that my dad made for our dinner party. 

The Chianti we enjoyed with dinner

This Chianti smelled like black berries and vanilla, with a little mocha included as well! It tasted like cherries and plum and surprisingly was not that dry. It was a very nice wine, and even better with the food. It had more spice when eaten with the food and really made the tomato flavors stand out. The wine also tasted more complex with the food. I caught a smokey taste and a little tobacco as well when I tasted the wine after eating the flavorful food. I liked the added flavors and I enjoyed the contribution the food had to the wine.

My glass of Pink Moscato next to my plate of dessert!

Dessert

Finally, we had the Opera Prima Pink Moscato sparkling wine from Italy. Alongside this Moscato, we enjoyed strawberry shortcake with ice cream. The Moscato smelled like rose petals and strawberries with hints of watermelon as well. The taste was very sweet, but when paired with the sweet dessert the Moscato seemed to be overshadowed in sweetness. It was very delicious still, and the strawberry shortcake seemed to bring out the flavor of the rosey and floral taste of the wine.

This dinner was a blast and everyone seemed to enjoy their wines along with the food. Overall, the wine seemed to taste better with the food or at least bring out the flavors of the food a lot more significantly. I really enjoyed sharing the experience with my parents and can't wait to try this again sometime!

Tasting - Caprice de Bastor-Lamontagne

Name: Caprice de Bastor-Lamontagne
Variety: 60% Semillon, 36% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Muscadelle
Region: Sauternes
Country: France
Year: 2004
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Very clean, with lemon, mineral and honey aromas that follow through to a medium body. Shows vanilla, apple and melon flavors, with a medium finish. Lightly sweet.

My Review: A pretty light, yellow color. Very sweet smells fill the nose. Definitely has a floral, fragrant perfume like smell. I also got a nice honey and molasses scent . Very, very nice smell, probably one of my favorite bouquets thus far. Nice, sweet taste. Fruity, apple and lemon tasting. Also a honey taste, like fresh honey and butter on bread in the morning. Very good, sweet wine!

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Torre Castillo Alegre

Name: Torre Castillo Alegre
Variety: 100% Monastrell
Region: Jumilla
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: 4 months in new American oak barrels

Bright ruby-red. Dried cherry, pipe tobacco and rose aromas, with a hint of woodsmoke. Sweet and fleshy on the palate, with blackberry and cherry flavors complimented by licorice and a suggestion of dried herbs. The cherry and smoke notes repeat on the finish.

My Review: Nice red color. Smelled like a smokey grill along with a little of a fruit bouquet. Had a tobacco taste definitely, also light fruits in the mix. Smokey in the taste, as well as distinguishable cherry flavors. Not my favorite wine.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Wilson Daniels Merlot

Name: Wilson Daniels Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: Central Coast California
Country: U.S.
Year: 2010
Price:  $7.95

Winery Review: Made predominantly from Paso Robles grapes, the wine is full-bodied and silky yet robust, with aromas of black cherry and plum and a palate of blackberry, raspberry and blueberry jam laced with vanilla and toast. 

My Review: Dark plum-red color. Plum smell, also contained a very woodsy and campfirey nose. As for the taste of this Merlot, very much black cherry and a nice aftertaste. I could get hints of a fruity mixture as well as vanilla. Nice complexity, I liked it!

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Bricco Dei Tati Rose

Name: Bricco Dei Tati Rose
Variety: 100% Barbera
Region: Piedmont
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Fresh with aromas of strawberries, cherries, and rose petals, this an ideal wine with shellfish, salads, chicken, and appetizers.

My Review: Pretty light salmon color, looks and smells good! Fruity, light, strawberry tang in the nose. Very strong cherry smell. Tasted acidic, fruity strawberries and floral taste as well. Not super sweet, nice aroma that I think I liked more than the taste.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Smoking Loon Sauvignon Banc

Name: Smoking Loon Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: California
Country: U.S.
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: This bleached blonde beauty is reminiscent of fresh green apples, pineapple and has hints of hibiscus blossoms. The concentration of zesty lemon and gooseberry fills your mouth leaving notes of thyme and melon behind. The bright acid in this wine gives you a zing while the fruit keeps your mouth watering for more. This wine pairs beautifully with a grilled prawn salad with a grapefruit vinaigrette, veggie spring rolls or grilled tilapia with mango salsa. 

My Review: Pretty clear, greenish yellow tint. Crisp, pear juice and herbal smell. Nice, I liked the bouquet and taste. It was citrusy and sweet yet a tad bitter in the aftertaste. Also a little vinegar taste, but it works along with the other flavors.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - El Pedrosal Ribera del Duero

Name: El Pedrosal Ribera del Duero
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Ribera del Duero
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $21.95

Winery Review: Glass-staining ruby. A fragrant bouquet evokes cherry-vanilla, violet and spices. Juicy and open-knit, offering zesty red and dark berry flavors and a touch of vanillin oak. Finishes smooth, gently sweet and long, with the cherry note echoing. This is already approachable.

My Review: One of the most potent wines I've tried so far. An overwhelming oak smell overpowering other fruity flavors in the bouquet. The taste works for this oaky tasting wine, very smooth. There are also hints of cherry in the taste along with subtle vanilla flavors. Interesting to try a more expensive wine than usual, not too bad!

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Villa da Filicaja Chianti Superiore

Name: Villa da Filicaja Chianti Superiore
Variety: Sangiovese
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: $12.95

Winery Review: Chianti Superiore DOCG "Conte Andrea" is the product of first-choice Sangiovese grapes from our best vineyards. It rests for 12 months in barrels of white oak, producing a very special high standard Chianti Superiore wine.

My Review: Pretty plum color. Nice berry and fruit aroma, sweet and pleasant on the nose. Dry with some fruit juice flavors on the tongue. Nice, complex texture, a good wine I'd like to have again!

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Dom de Fenouillet Beaumes de Venise

Name: Dom de Fenouillet Beaumes de Venise
Variety: 50% Syrah, 35% Grenache, and 15% Mourvedre
Region: Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $23.95

Winery Review: One of the most rare Rhone wines you will encounter. Sourced from the oldest vines of the domaine from a hillside "combe" in the shadow of the Dentelles de Montrmirail and just over the hill from Gigondas. The vineyard is a mix of clay and limestone and harvest levels are low, usually reaching at most 35 hectoliters per hectare. The wine is aged in cement cuves for two years before being bottled unfiltered.

My Review: A very flavorful and nice bouquet! A strong plum and fig smell. Smooth wine, not too dry, nice and fruity tasting. I liked this red and would like to try it with some well-paired food!

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Dom Vincent Dampt Chablis

Name: Dom Vincent Dampt Chablis
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Burgundy
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $21.95

Winery Review: Expresses our Chablis minerality and fruity so characteristic in its name. A wine with good balance and complex from old vines of our plot located between the coast and Vaillons Lechet. A wine for all occasions!

My Review: Clear apple juice color. Bready, yeasty smell. Also some fruit characteristics in the nose. An acidic wine, not too sweet. Apple flavors mixed in with some hints of pear in the taste. A nice Chardonnay!

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Domaine de la Louvetrie Muscadet

Name: Dom de la Louvetrie Muscadet
Variety: Muscadet
Region: Loire Valley
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $15.95

Winery Review: Jo Landron's Muscadet Sevre et Maine is from a beautiful walled vineyard sloping towards the Sevre, with clay, sand and quartz stones over a bedrock of Orthogneiss. The vines average 40 to 50 years of age, the vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic and gives very low yields. Always one of my favorite Muscadets, the 2011 is superb with citrus, pear, and herbal aromas with a bit of smoke and sea-salt. The palate is dense and very long with fabulous acidity. It will provide exhilarating early drinking and will be very interesting in 20 years as well.

My Review: Nice pear juice color, crisp apple and pear bouquet. Smooth and dry with a nice smokey taste. The salty taste also stands out throughout the wine, adding to its complexity. Would be nice to sip outside on a summer day with some light hors d'oeuvres.

I tried this wine without food.